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Golf: Harrison Frazar leads PGA Tour's playoff-opening The Barclays

Associated Press

Posted:
08/25/2011 08:25:17 PM PDT

Updated:
08/25/2011 11:20:04 PM PDT

Harrison Frazar is leading The Barclays. All anyone wanted to talk about was Irene.

Whatever enthusiasm there was for the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs was dampened Thursday -- first by rain that halted the first round for nearly three hours, then from the gloomy forecast of Hurricane Irene. That left players and officials wondering when, how or even if they can finish the opening playoff event in Edison, N.J.

Of the early starters, Frazar led an onslaught of birdies on rain-softened Plainfield Country Club, shooting a 7-under 64.

Vijay Singh overcame an early double bogey for a 65 and was tied with Jonathan Byrd. Adam Scott was in the group at 66. Among those at 67 was Nick Watney, the No. 1 seed as the race begins for the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus in four playoff events over the next five weeks.

When it was too dark to continue, 51 players did not finish the round. They were to return at 7:15 a.m. EDT on Friday.

William McGirt, the last of the 125 players who qualified for the playoffs, made seven birdies over eight holes and was at 7-under par through 11 holes. Matt Kuchar, the defending champion at The Barclays, also was at 7 under through 16 holes.

The concern is that Plainfield has had about 10 inches of rain over the last few weeks and probably can't take much more.

Presidents Cup: Fred Couples has told Tiger Woods that he decided to add him to the 12-member Presidents Cup team.

Couples, the Presidents Cup co-captain along with Jay Haas, took the drama out of the debate over whether Woods would be on the team, saying Thursday it's already a done deal.

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"I've told him that he's going to be on the team," Couples said. "There is no reason for me to wait till Sept. 26 to pick Tiger. He's the best player in the world forever."

The U.S. squad will compete against a team of non-European International players at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia Nov. 14-20.

LPGA Tour: Ai Miyazato and Pernilla Lindberg shot 7-under 65s in wet conditions to share the lead in the Canadian Women's Open, while Michelle Wie was two strokes back in her title defense.

Canadian Samantha Richdale opened with a 66 at Hillsdale Gold Club in Mirabel, Quebec, and Wie was another stroke back along with Angela Stanford and three others.

Wie holed 60- and 45-foot putts for birdies. She won last year at St. Charles in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

U.S. Amateur: Jonathan Garrick, the Mercury News' golfer of the year from St. Francis High, lost to incoming Stanford freshman Patrick Rodgers 6 and 4 in the second round of match play of the U.S. Amateur in Erin, Wis.

Earlier Thursday in the weather-delayed tournament at Erin Hills, Garrick of Atherton had beaten Canadian Charlie Hughes 2-up. Rodgers advanced to Friday's Round of 16 with his win over Garrick.

Gregor Main of Danville and UCLA, the top seed, lost in the first round of match play to Bobby Leopold of Cranston, R.I. 2 and 1.

Saint Mary's junior Ben Geyer from Arbuckle won two matches to reach the round of 16. Stanford junior Andrew Yun lost in the first round 3 and 1 to Harris English of Thomasville, Ga. English won a Nationwide Tour event in July.